Amusement device.



PATENTED JAN. 2, 1906.

T. WIRTH.

AMUSEMENT DEVICE. APPLICATION rum) JULY 9, 1904.

* NITED STATES PAENT. FFICE AMUSEMENT DEVICE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 2, 1906.

Application filed July 9,1904. Serial No. 215,950.

To (LZZ whom it may concern;

Be it known that I, THEODORE WIRTH, a citizen of the United States, anda resident of Hartford, in the county of Hartford and State ofConnecticut, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inAmusement Devices, of which the following is a specification.

The invention relates to amusement devices, and more particularly to theclass of such devices commonly called merry-gorounds.

The object of the invention is to provide a device of the sort specifiedwhich may be readily placed in position in public parks or othersuitable places and so constructed that it may be knocked down fortransportation and very readily set up.

A further object is to provide a peculiar bearing for such a device withits parts so constructed and arranged that there can be no cramping orbinding of the bearing parts. This arrangement provides anantifrictionbearing which permits the platform of the device to rotatefreely for a considerable period of time after it is started in motion.

A still further object is to so arrange the several parts of themechanism that it will be absolutely safe when used by children withoutattendance, all the parts being so inclosed that it is practicallyimpossible for any one to be injured by being caught in the movingparts.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a view in side elevation,partially cut in section. Fig. 2 is a sectional perspective view. Fig. 3is a detail plan view, partially in section.

Referring to the drawings, the numeral 1denotesapostwhichmaybesecurelypla ntedin the earth and provided at ornear its top with a header 2, completely encircling the post and formingwith it a base or support for a plate or bed-piece 3. This piece is castto form and securely bolted to the header 2 and for ease in manufacture,to provide a proper base for a bearing-plate 4, is finished as to twoannular portions 5 and 6. Upon these two finished annular portions restsa bearing plate or disk 4, provided at its inner and upper edge with ahardened ball-ring 7 and at or near its outer and lower edge with aballrace 8. Cooperating with the ring 7 is a second hardened ring 9,both the rings 7 and 9 being grooved to form a ball-race for the balls10 of a ball-bearing. The ring 9 is let into the lower surface of asupporting-spider 11. This spider is of ring form and has secured to itand dependent from its lower and outer edge an annular bearing member12. This bearing member is of peculiar form, extending when in positionabout the bearingplate 4 and having at its lower edge a projecting lip13, provided with a ball-groove 14, which underlies the edge of theplate 4 and cooperates with the groove 8 to form a raceway for balls 15.The spider 11 has a central flange 16,forming asupport for a post 17.Extending from the flange 16 in substantially radial directions areflanges 18, which form suitable recesses or pockets for receivingradially-extending arms 19. These arms are preferably of wood and withthe spider form the main frame of the rotating part of themerry-go-round. I

At the outer ends of the beams 19 are secured dependent braces 20, whichare of step form and support a running-board 21. A lattice or sheathingextends between the running-board 21 and the flooring or seat portion22, which in turn is supported directly upon the arms 19. Near the outerends of each of the radially-extending beams 19 are brackets 23, whichform a suitable support for backboards 24, that prevent ready access tothe center of the rotating table. The whole upper surface of the mainframe is sheathed, and thus all relatively movable and stationary partsare completely isolated.

At intervals about the main frame are handles 25, which may readily begrasped by one standing on the ground, and by pushing against the handleand running forward the main frame, with its supported parts, may berotated, whereupon the operator jumps upon the running-board and by hisweight gives impetus to the moving parts.

Perhaps the most important feature of the device resides in the peculiarform of antifrictionbearing. It is to be noted that there is a main orcentral bearing for sustaining the weight, while a supplemental bearing,located at some distance from the main bearing and in opposition to it,prevents undue strains and cramp upon the main bearing. The outer orsupplemental bearing is ordinarily expected to do little work; but whenthe platform is running with an unbalanced load it reduces the strainsthrown upon the inner or main bearing.

The peculiar bearing herein described is especially applicable to adevice of the charac ter hereinillustrated. In the use of the device theload in a large majority of cases is unevenly deposited, and itfrequently happens that the entire load will be upon one side. From thisit will be seen that a peculiar arrangement and construction of partsmust be had in order to successfullywithstand the extremely hard usageand severe strains to which the device is subjected by reason of theunbalanced load placed upon it, and it is further required in order toprovide a successfully-operative device that the platform shall rotateeasily with such unevenly-deposited load.

Obviously various modifications might be made in the detailedarrangement of the parts without departing from the spirit or intent ofthe invention, and the bearing might be constructed in various ways, theimportant feature of the bearing being that it has main and supplementalbearings cooperating to reduce strains and provide an easy and freerunning bearing.

It is to be noted that the bearings are arranged in parallel planes, andof course it is quite immaterial whether the main bearing orsupplemental bearing is arranged nearer the center of the device so longas the bearings cooperate to reduce cramp and produce easy running.Furthermore, it is not essential that the bearings be arranged at anyfixed distance from the center, as their position may be varied to suitthe exigencies of any particular case.

What I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In a merrygoround, in combination, a fixed support, a bearing-platesecured upon the upper end thereof and having a flange, asupporting-plate for a platform mounted on the bearing-plate and havinga projection extending about, and underlying the flange, ball-bearingslocated between said flange and projection, ball bearings locatedbetween the upper surface of the plate and the under surface of theplatform-support, and a platform mounted on the support, the plane ofthe platform and each of the sets of bearings being parallel.

2. In a merry-go-round, in combination, a fixed support to receive abearing-plate in proximity to the surface of the ground, thebearing-plate secured thereto and having a flange, a support for aplatform mounted on the bearing-plate and having a projection underlyingthe flange, ball-bearings located between said flange and projection,ball bearings located between the upper surface of the plate and theunder surface of the platform-support and a running-board platformdependent from the support in proximity to the ground and alatticeintermediate the platform-support and running-board, providing a casingencircling and guarding the other movable parts.

3. In a merry-go-round, in combination, a fixed support, a plurality ofbearings ar ranged thereon, a rotatable platform mounted upon saidbearing, and a dependent running board extending about the platformwhereby a person may gain and retain position upon the platform.

4. In a merry-go-round, in combination, a fixed support, a plurality ofbearings operatively arranged thereon, a rotatable platform mounted uponsaid bearings and provided with a foot or running board extendingthereabout and handles projecting from said platform in position to begrasped by a user.

5. In a merry-go-round, in combination, a fixed support, a bearing-platesecured thereto, and having a flange, a platform mounted on thebearing-plate and having a projection underlying the flange, ballslocated between said flange and projections, and balls located betweenthe upper surface of the plate and the under surface of the platform, arim depending from the platform and entirely surrounding and inclosingsaid bearing and supports, and a running-board secured to the lower edgeof said rim.

6. In a merry-goround, in combination, a fixed support, a bearingplatemounted on the support and having a flange, a rotatable platform havinga dependent bearing member with a lip underlying said flange, ballslocated between said lip and flange, balls lo cated on the upper surfaceof the plate and between it and the rotatable platform, asupporting-spider forming a part of said platform, radial arms extendingfrom the spider, a rim depending from said platform and entirelyinclosing the bearing parts of the device and a running board secured tothe lower edge of said rim.

7. In a merry-go-round, in combination, a support, a bearing-plate fixedto the upper part of said support and having a circular flange, a spiderhaving a depending part with a lip underlying said flange, balls locatedbetween said lip and flange, balls located between the upper surface ofthe plate and spider, radial arms secured at the inner ends in recessesin the spider, a platform mounted on said arms, supports depending fromthe outer end of the arms, and a runningboard secured to the lower endof said supports.

8. In a merry-go-round comprising a fixed support, a plurality ofbearings operatively arranged thereon, a rotatable platform mounted uponsaid bearings and provided with a foot or running board extendingthereabout, a seat extending about the entire platform above therunning-board, and handles projecting from said platform in position tobe grasped and pushed whereby the operator may start the platform inmotion and mount the running-board and seat.

9. In a merry-go-round, in combination, a fixed support, a bearing-platesecured to the Support and having a circular flange, a spider mounted onthe support and having a depending part with a lip underlying theflange, balls secured between said lip and flange, balls located betweenthe under surface of the spider and upper surface of the plate, radialarms with their inner ends located in sockets in said spider, a platformmounted on said radial arms, a rim secured to the outer ends of saidarms and extending entirely around the device and entirely inclosing thebearings and a running-board secured at the lower edge of said rim.

10. In a merry-goround, in combination, a fixed support, a bearing-platemounted on said support and having a flange, a spider having a dependingportion with a lip underlying said flange, balls located between saidflange and lip, balls located between the under surface of the spiderand upper surface of said bearing-plate, radial arms with their i11- nerends located in sockets in said spider, a platform located on said arms,supports depending from the outer ends of said arms, a rim extendingentirely around the platform and completely guarding the bearingsagainst access and a running-board secured to said supports at the loweredge of the rim.

THEODORE W'IRTH. Witnesses:

W. H. BARKER, CHARLES L. TAYLOR.

